Cranberries Were Planning a New Album When Dolores O’Riordan Died

Like most long-running bands, the Cranberries weathered their share of ups and downs over the years. But after reuniting in 2009, they achieved a greater degree of stability earned by time and maturity — and when frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan died suddenly on Jan. 15, they were making plans to record what would have been their eighth studio album.

News of the band's hopes for new music comes courtesy of Rolling Stone, where a look at O'Riordan's final days includes quotes from Cranberries guitarist Noel Hogan, as well as record executive Dan Waite, both of whom spoke with or heard from the singer shortly before her death. According to Hogan, the group had already started lining up material for their next release, which would have served as the follow-up to 2017's Something Else.

"She was great," recalled Hogan of his Jan. 12 conversation with O'Riordan. Saying that the two "spoke about getting back to work," he added that O'Riordan later sent him several songs earmarked for potential inclusion on the next album, which would have marked their first collection of all-new material since 2012's Roses.

Waite, who received a pair of voicemail messages from O'Riordan just hours before her death, found her in similarly good spirits. Calling from London, where she was staying while working in the studio, her demeanor ran counter to reports Waite's seen suggesting she was in a dark place emotionally. "She was in a good space," insisted Waite. "I've seen a few things saying she was depressed, but she was definitely making plans for the week."